Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Hi Everyone
Since It's Christmas and time to write my annual note..... Robin is the writer, its time to do it, so touight this was the place to do it.
Its been an interesting year for Robin and I as we have been to Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana and of course Salt Lake City more time than we want to count, to accomplish our mission calling. We have had great experience working with members and non church members, leaders, and participants in the self reliance garden programs. What an experience as beneficiaries have sat and told us how the gardens have changed their lives: many talk about how they are getting off of alcohol problems, having better health, increasing family time, becoming active in the church and on and on because they are out working in their gardens rather than sitting on the couch drinking etc. Ya get a little tired of hotels and restaurant food, but the company is always great.
Always seems like the planning of the Lord is so far ahead of us as every time we needed to be home or somewhere, it was always fitting in just perfectly, such as coming home early because we were done in Belize just in time for Robin to spend the last afternoon with her mom before she died. We came home because of change in plans this fall to get home the day before we had a broken water line, and things like this happen all the time.
All of the boys are home (in the US) again which always makes us happy, and we got a picture of the all in their dress blues for the first time. If I can figure it out or get the expert, I'll include it.

Here is Joshua's facebook statement about the picture.

Many of you are my Brothers in arms, let me introduce you to my brothers by blood as well as brothers in arms and the man who gave us life. From Left to right, 1LT Jeremiah O'Crowley, served 6 years in AD got out as a SSG, went to College and is now a Signal Officer. My father Dana O'Crowley on the right side of me has tried to join several times but God said no (no one else would have said no when you have a perfectly healthy young man volunteer to go to Vietnam several different times during the Vietnam war), so he serves in other ways and supports our troops and our family, never have I seen a more ardent patriot walk this land. On the far right is my youngest brother Jacob O'Crowley an 88M in direct support of the 19th SF Group out of SLC, Utah has served for four years and is looking at changing branches to 18 series. We have over 10 deployments to foreign countries between us and over seven years of that in a combat zone. This was the first time in seven years that one of us wasn't deployed somewhere that we could get together and take a picture. Ladies and gentlemen my Father and Brothers.

Was sure glad to hear Heather's up-beet report on Marks condition, and pray it continues.

As far as the kids: Rachel is still a pharmacy tech in Salt Lake, Jess is still working at the Uof U in the cardiac department as a Nurse Practitioner, Josh and family are still in Alaska, but will probably be moving next year with another assignment, Jer just got home from Afghanistan, and lives with his family in Colorado Springs, Co, Jake moved his family to Tooele, Utah where they bought a house. so Vernal is just us now, but we are only here (sometimes) or should I say we have been gone more than we have been home.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Well Dana has been bugging me ever since we got home from our Europe trip to put some stuff on the Family Blog.

First off I have to say a big THANK YOU to Mark and Heather. They made our trip so nice and so easy for us, all we had to do was show up and they had planned everything.

We left Phx and May 22nd at 11:55 pm and flew to Philly and then on to Frankfurt, the flights went really well considering we were flying "stand by". That is because Brittni works for US Airway and thank heavens for that because it was much cheaper. We arrived in Frankfurt and then took the train to Stuttgart. We finally got to Mark and Heathers about noon and the 24th so we did celebrate Heather's Birthday that night.
24 May - Arrival / Resting-up at our home / Dinner at home to celebrate Heather's Birthday
The next day we went to the flea market in Stuttgart and Ludwig Palace, our first taste of "wow it was good to be the king" sites that we visited in Europe.